Kootenay-Columbia MP Rob Morrison is disappointed by the federal government pushing ahead with a planned increase to the carbon tax levy on April 1.
Morrison said an increase would put more strain on people’s budgets.
“When they jack up the carbon tax by 23 per cent, that will start with the farmers, goes to shipping, then to grocery stores, then of course, it goes onto people buying the product,” said Morrison. “It’s going to keep compounding in cost, which is making things more unaffordable.”
The tax increase is expected to raise the cost of gasoline by about three cents per litre.
This comes after a Conservative-led motion of non-confidence was voted down vote 204 to 116 on Thursday.
“The economy is so difficult for people that we wanted to vote to cancel the carbon tax,” said Morrison. “We wanted to have an election, and we wanted to have it over the carbon tax. If you want it, vote for it, if don’t, vote against it.”
However, the federal Liberals said carbon rebates will increase with the tax raises, noting that about 80 per cent of Canadian families get more in rebates than they pay into the tax.
B.C. has its own carbon tax system in place, separate from the federal tax.
This means B.C. industry, residents and businesses pay into and get rebates through the provincial tax structure rather than the Canadian system.
The provincial carbon tax is expected to rise on April 1 as well, which will likely also raise gas prices by about three cents per litre.
Morrison said repealing the federal carbon tax may have a domino effect on provinces that have their own system in place.
“I think the province is using the rationale that ‘as long as the federal government is doing a carbon tax, we’re just following suit.’ That tells me if the federal government stops the carbon tax, the B.C. government will stop the carbon tax,” said Morrison.